Lately, the machinery seems not to be reading the "/etc/pkg_install.conf"
file. Invoking 'make show-var VARNAME=ACCEPTABLE_LICENSES' does not
show the additions I made.

Maybe:
$ strings /usr/pkg/sbin/pkg_add | grep pkg_install.conf

strings: '/usr/pkg/sbin/pkg_add': No such file
rather:
$ strings $(which pkg_add) | grep pkg_install.conf
/etc/pkg_install.conf
But it's not pkg_add that's having a problem. It's the build-machinery
failing to pick up the "ACCEPTABLE_LICENSES=foo-license" statements
from it, which used to work just fine. In the current state, it refuses
to (re-)build my preferred packages, or selects a non-preferred variant
because the additional licenses are not present in the variable.
(I should note that this has so far only been observed on NetBSD-6.99.17
for amd64. When my other systems (netbsd-6 on i386, amd64, and sparc;
soon-to-be 6.99.18 on macppc) get around to the problem packages, I'll
be able to see if this is widespread.)
--
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